Chapter 181: Zhu Biao Falls Ill

……

The fifteenth of June.

Zhu Biao finally couldn't hold on any longer.

That evening, Zhu Yong was at Wu Wang Fu playing with Zhu Huanhuan.

Three-year-old Zhu Huanhuan raised a small wooden sword and said in a babyish voice, "Dad, watch Huan Huan's sword technique!"

Zhu Yong crouched down and commented seriously, "Your posture is right, but your strength isn't enough."

"Then Dad, teach Huan Huan!"

"Alright, Dad will teach you."

As the father and daughter were playing, Zhang Wu suddenly burst in.

"Prince! Something's happened to the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Yong shot to his feet and then hurriedly rushed outside.

When he arrived at the Eastern Palace, the courtyard was already full of people.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood under the eaves with his hands behind his back, his face ashen.

Empress Ma sat by the bedside, holding Zhu Biao's hand, her eyes red.

Chang Wan stood in front of the bed, clutching her large belly, biting her lip hard, tears streaming silently.

Zhu Xiongying was held in the wet nurse's arms; only three years old, he looked at the adults blankly, not knowing what was happening.

Zhu Yong strode in.

"Dad, what's wrong with Big Brother?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't speak, just turned aside.

Zhu Yong walked to the bedside and saw Zhu Biao's face.

That face was as pale as paper, his lips bloodless, his eye sockets deeply sunken.

His twenty-year-old big brother looked older than their father.

"What did the imperial physician say?" Zhu Yong asked.

Empress Ma's voice choked as she said, "Overwork... damaged his foundation... the physician said... said..."

She couldn't say that word.

Zhu Yong didn't press further.

Zhu Yong reached out and gently grasped Zhu Biao's icy hand.

"Big Brother," he called.

Zhu Biao didn't respond.

Empress Ma finally couldn't hold it in anymore, covering her mouth and sobbing aloud.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his back, his shoulders trembling.

The room was stifling, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, he thought of something...

Zhu Yong quickly reached into his bosom and then pulled something out from his space.

He opened his hand, revealing a small jade bottle.

In Hongwu Second Year, he had signed in and obtained three Nine-Turn Resurrection Pills.

One pill had saved Chang Yuchun.

There were still nine pills left, kept all along.

He didn't know who they were for.

Now he knew.

"Dad," Zhu Yong spoke.

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around.

Zhu Yong handed the jade bottle over and said, "The medicine in here can save Big Brother."

Zhu Yuanzhang took the jade bottle and looked at the dark red pill inside.

He didn't ask where the medicine came from.

Nor did he ask if it would work.

He only asked, "Yong Er, this medicine...?"

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "It's the same one I used to treat Uncle Chang last time."

"Good, good, good..." Zhu Yuanzhang repeated.

The hand holding the jade bottle was bulging with veins.

"Dad, your big brother will owe you for the rest of his life..." Zhu Yuanzhang said hoarsely.

Zhu Yong shook his head and replied, "Dad doesn't owe me anything; it's me who owes Dad and Mom..."

Zhu Yuanzhang gave him a deep look and said no more.

He turned, personally stuffed the pill into Zhu Biao's mouth, and fed him water to swallow it.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

……

Midnight.

Zhu Biao woke up.

He opened his eyes, saw the canopy above the bed, and then saw someone lying beside the bed.

It was his second younger brother.

Zhu Biao tried to speak, his throat dry as sandpaper.

He moved his hand.

Zhu Yong woke up immediately.

"Brother!"

Zhu Biao looked at him, his lips moving.

Zhu Yong leaned close.

"Second brother… what time is it?"

"It's the Rat hour, brother, you've slept all day," Zhu Yong said.

Zhu Biao gave a small "oh" and asked, "Memorandum… has it been reviewed?"

Zhu Yong was stunned for a moment, then his eyes reddened.

"It's been reviewed, father reviewed it…" Zhu Yong said.

Zhu Biao nodded, "Then that's good."

Empress Ma and Chang Wan heard the commotion, lifted the curtain and came in, seeing Zhu Biao with his eyes wide open; the mother‑in‑law and daughter‑in‑law were both crying and laughing.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood outside the door, not entering.

He simply stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the moon in the sky.

A very long time passed.

…

June 18th.

Zhu Biao could get out of bed.

He leaned on the soft couch, with several Memoranda placed before him.

Zhu Yong sat beside him, peeling an apple in his hand.

"Brother, the imperial physician says you need to convalesce," Zhu Yong said.

"Hmm, convalesce," Zhu Biao opened a Memorandum and replied.

Zhu Yong reached out, closed the Memorandum and said, "Convalesce."

Zhu Biao helplessly set the Memorandum down and took the peeled apple from Zhu Yong.

"Second brother, tell me, am I really useless?" he said after taking a bite.

Zhu Yong frowned, "Brother, why would I be useless?"

Zhu Biao looked out the window, "Great Ming is growing larger, the affairs are multiplying. Father is old, and as Crown Prince I can't hold it together…"

"Brother can hold it," Zhu Yong interrupted.

Zhu Biao looked at him.

Zhu Yong said earnestly, "Brother is just too tired; rest a few days and you'll be fine."

Zhu Biao said nothing.

Zhu Yong added, "Brother, you have shouldered the world for too long."

"You are also a member of the Zhu Family; the realm is also yours," Zhu Biao said.

"Hmm, I have a share, so I fight wars, brother governs the state, I capture territories, brother manages them, and we both shoulder them together."

Zhu Yong nodded and said.

Zhu Biao stared blankly at him.

Zhu Biao actually wanted to say, "Second brother, you should stop taking on such huge territories; brother really can't manage them…"

However, he thought for a long time, then he smiled.

"Second brother," Zhu Biao whispered.

"Hmm."

"Thank you."

Zhu Yong gave a goofy smile and said, "Thanks for what? You're my big brother."

Outside the window, the setting sun slanted westward.

Golden light streamed through the window lattice, bathing the two brothers.

Zhu Xiongying and Zhu Huanhuan were carried in by the wet nurse; the two children, seeing Zhu Biao awake, struggled to climb down.

"Father! Xiong Ying is scared…" Zhu Xiongying flopped into Zhu Biao's arms and said.

Zhu Biao lifted his son, speaking gently, "Father is fine; I only took a nap."

"Lying! The wet nurse said father fell ill, very seriously!" Zhu Xiongying said with reddened eyes.

Zhu Biao patted his head, "Now it's better."

Zhu Xiongying looked up at him, then at Zhu Yong, and whispered, "Was it Second Uncle who saved father?"

Zhu Yong said goofily, "Hmm."

Zhu Xiongying turned to Zhu Yong, seriously, "Second Uncle, Xiong Ying will also, like you, rescue father, rescue the emperor, rescue Great Ming."

Zhu Yong reached out, patted his head and said, "Alright, Second Uncle will teach you."

Zhu Huanhuan squeezed over, also wanting Zhu Yong to hold her.

Zhu Yong lifted his daughter, Zhu Huanhuan clung to his neck, in a baby voice, "Father, Uncle is fine, Huan Huan is happy."

Zhu Yong kissed his daughter's cheek, "Father is also happy."

Inside, warmth suffused the room.

Zhu Yuanzhang, at some unknown moment, stood in the doorway, watching this scene.

He did not enter, only watched quietly for a while.

Then he turned, and said to the eunuch beside him: "Go to the Imperial Kitchen and deliver a message—add dishes tonight."

The eunuch answered and went.

Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands behind his back in the corridor, gazing at the last strip of sunset glow on the horizon.

"Girl," he said softly.

Empress Ma stepped out and stood beside him.

"Biao Er is fine.... Yong Er saved him."

Empress Ma nodded: "Yong Er has always protected his older brother."

Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: "In this lifetime, we've killed many people, done many wrong things. But there's one thing we got right."

"What is it?"

"We found Yong Er again," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Empress Ma grasped his hand.

In the sunset, the emperor and empress's shadows stretched long.

……

The eighth year of Hongwu, June 20th.

Zhu Biao recovered.

He returned to Wenhua Hall and continued reviewing the Memorandum.

Only, there was an extra person at the desk.

Zhu Yong sat on the chair beside him, holding a copy of the Zizhi Tongjian, which Zhu Biao had asked him to read.

"Second brother, where have you gotten to?" Zhu Biao asked as he reviewed the Memorandum.

"I've reached Han Gaozu; his fighting is not as good as mine," Zhu Yong said innocently.

Zhu Biao chuckled: "Han Gaozu is not famed for martial prowess."

"Then what is he famous for?"

"His talent for employing people—he had Han Xin, Zhang Liang, Xiao He, and thus obtained the world," Zhu Biao said.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, nodded and said: "I also have an older brother, father, General Chang, and Xu Shu."

Zhu Biao said contentedly: "Second brother, you understand now."

Zhu Yong smiled innocently, lowered his head and continued reading.

Outside the window, cicadas chirped repeatedly.

The summer of the eighth year of Hongwu was still long.

But the coldest night had already passed.

……

Late June.

Zhu Shuang wrote from Xi'an, saying he had arrived at the fief, the city defenses were solid, and the troops and civilians were at ease.

Zhu Gang wrote from Taiyuan, saying he was reorganizing the army, and the Taiyuan iron cavalry would be ready soon.

Zhu Yuanzhang read both letters; unusually he did not scold anyone, only saying, "Fine."

He handed the letters to Zhu Biao, who after reading them passed them to Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong finished reading and said innocently, "Third brother, fourth brother have grown."

Zhu Biao nodded: "Hmm, they've grown."

The two brothers glanced at each other and both laughed.

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right.

The sky of Great Ming cleared for another day.